Cammeraygal People
New South Wales
Completed in 1957, the Glass House was the first Lucas family home. It was not a picturesque cottage in the woods, nor was it cosy, but it nevertheless captured the essence of a home. What it lacks in substance it more than makes up for in gravitas. With its feather weight structure, it floats miraculously about the tree canopy, above the rocks, and above torrents. We sought only to conserve.
It has all the rooms that a house requires. It also has a courtyard, a verandah, clothes lines, a garden, and the setting that single family homes expect. But it has one other thing that so many of today’s houses lack: it has an idea, and that idea is economy.
Completed in 1957 and designed by Bill and Ruth Lucas as their own home, ‘Glass House’ has faithfully served the Lucas family and subsequent owner’s families with a connected way of living. It is an exceptional example of Sydney School modernism. Bill’s signature light-touch is evident in the outlooks upon landscape, economy of construction, feathery connections to the earth, passive ventilation, and natural light – all in harmony.
Painstaking repairs, remediation and considered replacement of original parts of the seductively slender timber and steel structural frame, glass panels, doors, decks, windows, and finishes have all been informed by original drawings, sketches, photos, and hand-written notes archived by Bill himself. In their focused pursuit of doing as much as necessary with as little as possible, the current custodians of owners and architect have remained steadfastly true to both the principles of conservation, and indeed the original concept. Bill and Ruth’s exemplary design is now complemented with exemplary conservation works.
The Glass House, originally designed by Bill Lucas as a prototype for sustainable / economic housing. Now, 67 years later we have the privilege of raising three boys in this feather light home hovering above the earth, inviting the outside in; connecting us with the trees, neighbours and sky.
Our architects thoughtful and careful restoration of this once dilapidated structure benefits our family. Providing opportunity to live in a simple and beautiful space, to apply sustainability principles to our everyday, to prioritise connection with people and nature over objects, as well as offering everything that we functionally need from a house.
Esteban Carretero, Builder
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
